Firmware 2.00 Gives PS3 Wealth Of New Features

While it may have cost an arm, leg and possibly most of your upper torso to acquire a PS3 Sony does appear to have some major new functionality headed your way with its latest firmware update.

Version '2.00' is chock full of features including a long requested user favourite: access to the Cross Media Bar when inside a game. This addition would mean owners no longer need to quit a game just to change settings, putting it on par with the Xbox 360 and laws of logic.

Elsewhere user accounts can now be password protected, there is an energy saver option, music and video can be played sequentially or fast forwarded and reversed at 3x and CD information will be shown. Support for RSS feeds are also added along with Theme Settings, Photo Effects and customised wallpaper.

And there's more: friends now have support for multiple chat sessions, Avatars can be selected from personal photos, 'Help' has been added as a feature and the range of compatible PS and PS2 titles has been expanded.

I suggest PS3 owners be all over this like a virulent rash in a particularly susceptible area when it appears in the next few weeks.

Important Update: Sadly Sony has announced that these Firmware 2.00 details - currently flooding the web - are fake. Instead it looks like we'll just have to keep our fingers' crossed for v1.80. I knew it was too good to be true...!